Native American is not just one big culture. There are many diverse cultures and tribes. Because of this, grouping Native American drama can be tricky. The cultures are often separated by their language, religion, and their material and economic cultures. Each culture has a different way of presenting drama. Native American theatre has had little recognition in comparison to other types of theatre. Some of the play incorporate Native American rituals. The mains ones being, concept of nonlinear time and the concept of dimensionless sacred places. They often intertwine with one another. For a while, many of the performance were of Native American myths and legends, stories that were passed down. The Navaho Chantways often begin their drama with referencing to the creation of life. Their plays are heavy set on religion. Some Native Americans include shamanism into their drama. There were many shamanistic experiences in the Native American culture and often include trance-like states. These themes are characterized by a possession of power. The Native American theatre today are renewing the traditional forms of their theatre, but also incorporating forms of Euro-american drama into their art as well.
Native American is not just one big culture. There are many diverse cultures and tribes. Because of this, grouping Native American drama can be tricky. The cultures are often separated by their language, religion, and their material and economic cultures. Each culture has a different way of presenting drama. Native American theatre has had little recognition in comparison to other types of theatre. Some of the play incorporate Native American rituals. The mains ones being, concept of nonlinear time and the concept of dimensionless sacred places. They often intertwine with one another. For a while, many of the performance were of Native American myths and legends, stories that were passed down. The Navaho Chantways often begin their drama with referencing to the creation of life. Their plays are heavy set on religion. Some Native Americans include shamanism into their drama. There were many shamanistic experiences in the Native American culture and often include trance-like states. These themes are characterized by a possession of power. The Native American theatre today are renewing the traditional forms of their theatre, but also incorporating forms of Euro-american drama into their art as well.